Heating, ventilating, street-annunciating, and draft-producing system for cars.



LE VERT CLARK.

HEATING, VENTILATING, STREET ANNUNGIATING, AND DRAFT PRODUCING SYSTEM FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAILB, 1912.

1,051,687. Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

WITNESSES.

I lNl/ENTOR g @WW f LE VERT CLARK, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

HEATING, VENTILATING, STREET-ANNUNCIATING, AND DRAFT-PRODUCING SYSTEM FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1 913.

Application filed March 8, 1912. Serial No. 682,472.

Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n Heating, Ventilating,

Street-Annunciating, and Draft-Producing Systems for Cars: and I do declare the following tobe a full,elear, and exact description oi} the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to combination sound transmitting, ventilating, and heating devices, for cars; particularly to the specific means employed to stimulate the fire in an ordinary stove by a forced draft which may also be diverted toventilate the car; likewise all its features may be used at the same time,-or separately,that is to ventilate, and heat the car and t'o use the pipe, through whicli'to call the names of streets. I designate'it as an acoustic ventilator and forced fire draft for cars. \Vhereby the car is constantly supplied with fresh warmed air, in winter, and cooling breezes in summer; and at the same time the motorman may use the device as a street annunciator.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view and vertical section along the dotted line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 isa lengthwise, approximately horizo-ntal,or midway,scctional view, between the upper and lower sides of the main pipe; and top view below the roof.

Ais a car partly broken away which may have an end wall Bscparating it from the vestibule I) which latter may be divided by a partition B and have windows C closing in the vestibule from the outer air.

F is the end of the roof, over the vestibule. F the higher roof portion, over the end'transoms J and side transoms J.

lO isthe air'convcying pipe communicat ingat its rcceivingcnd with the outer fresh air'tliroi' gh its intake 18." This pipe is bifurcatcd at 4 so that one branch communicates with a discharge end portion 12 opening inside the car; while the other branch 30 terminates in an air jet, nozzle 34 pointing upward and located preferably somewhere in the axial center of the smoke pipe H; which latter communicates with the combustion chamber of a conventional stove X.

U is the smoke pipe damper.

Z is the air inlet below the tire X of the stove.

Z is an air inlet in the warm air easing Y enveloping the stove and as much as possible of the smoke pipe H, or other heat engendering apparatus in lieu of a stove and smoke pipe.

V is a door closing the inlet Z to control the air from the car, going in the inlet Z.

G is the place of juncture of the casing Y and pipe 10, both having a combined opening 12 into the car through the transom J or J. Its action is something like that of a river that flows into the sea (12) from the confluences of two or more rivers (Y) and its tributary (45), (l0) and (24); also having another smaller occasional outlet (30). The side. transom being used merely to leave the front transom for use of car street-signs. One transom will serve as well as another for like purposes. ()r the ('()ll'll)lll(' l pipes, (casing Y, 10, and 24) may empty into the car at any other convenient place. Electric or other heat generating devices, not illustratcd, may also he uscd inside the casing Y instead of the stove X with good results as regards the heat, ventilation and sound, transmission features of my device. The casing may have a loose fitting door Y, hinged at V preferably not air-light; through which to pnt the stove and give access to the inlets, lire doors and ash pit of the stove. A jacketed pipe 45 below the car floor. or above as shown in dotted lines, having openings 45' inside the car. and joined to the casing Y, may serve as inlets, instead of Z, to draw away the air from top of floor up through opening 12; so as to put it into more general circulation, throughout the interior of the car.

20 is a damper which may' be opened and closed by the rod movahly connected at 23, in convenient reach of the moiorman or by any other suitable means. The damper may be circular for a round pipe or rcctangular and hinged at its edge 21, in the square pipe illustrated; where it is raised and shut by an ordinary rod suitably connected such as is commonlyused to open and close transonis over house-doors. The

29. Section 31 may be left permanently in thecar; and section 33 left permanently in the smoke pipe; when the lower portion of the smoke pipe H, together with the stove X and its casing Y are all removedfrom the carln summer. They being made preferably removable for that purpose; by disconnecting at intersection with theroo'f F, The upper section H of the smoke pi e and all other" pipes or branches, are pre erably left permanently in the car. In regular open or summer cars the same system may preferably be installed,- so asto get the benefit of the air currents in pipe 10 to'convey sound received therein through the J branch 24, when the stove X and smoke pipe H and the casing Y are usually dispensed with.

11 is the mouthpiece of the sound receiving branch, through whichthe motorman calls the names of streets into the ventilator pipe opening into the car as described.

24; is the telescopic extension, to raise and lower the mouthpiece, which may be clamped at varying heights by the thumb bolt 22-.

It is preferable,. when the draft is on, through the branch jet 34, that the hood should then be raised to give freer passage to smoke, and air through branch 30 and pipe H to the outer air. \Vhich may bedone in the ordinary way by pulling down the short end of a lever P hinged at Q, to a' bracket on the smoke pipe, and having the hood attached to the lever. will be returned to its place when the draft is off, to keep out therein in the usual way.

R is a rod that brings the operation of the hood in reach of the motorman. S are radiator fins preferably of bright metal as a better heat radiating medium at-. tached to the smoke pipe H inside the casing Y; which serve the double'purp'ose of drawing the heat from the pipe H' into the surrounding air; and also act as bafiles. to

prevent drawing out the air too rapidly, from inside the casing Y before it is sufliciently heated, under the strong drawing action of the parallel currents of cold air coming into the car through pipe 10; and air entering pipe casing Y, through its feeder 45, and air going through the inlet Z, when the door Y is shut, into the casing pipe thence into pipe 10 and into the car at 12. The cold and hot air and sound there- The hood 0 fore meet and mingle at G, like an atomizer works; thence may go into the car, under impetus of a rotary power driven fan N, in the pipe, which keeps the draft uniform and constant when the car is standing still, or if the wind is adverse. At othertimes the motion of the car may usually be sufficient with favorable winds. The fan may be placed on the same axle shaft, and driven by an electric motor M, which I preferably place axially coincident with the fan inside the pipe 10.

But any driving means may be placed outside the'pipe and suitably connected to the fan by a chain, belt, or otherwise, not illus-' trated. The fan, placed at either end of the inside motor, as preferred, and the motor and their coacting parts may be placed on i the same base W making a unit easily removable from the pipe 10.

i In operation: The cold fresh air comes into pipe 10 throughits intake 18-either by mo-' tion of the car or from air blowing into the intake; or the fan enables the apparatus to furnish a steady air current regardless of the motion of the car or wind. If the damper 20 is open (down) the air at once goes through the opening 12 into the car. The force or quantity of'air being regulated and controlled by the dampers. If the car iS divided into compartments not here illustrated but seen in my application Serial No. 536,082, the discharge end- 12 of pipe It) may be. bifurcated, as described therein and not shown here. The action of the fresh air in pipe 10 after assing the junction G with the casing pipe is to draw the warm air out of the casing as stated, which is greatly freshened thereby and both currents commingle and become modified in temperature; the air being rarefied, becomes a better sound medium, as it is projected into-the car, over the heads of the passengers. Which process is facilitated by opening wide the inlets 45' and Z, to the casing. The inlets having only the one functionof admitting air from the floor of thecar. The presence of" the stove X is to heat the air inside the casing Y. For which purpose the colder air of the car being nearer the floor, is drawn into the casing through the inlet Z, or around the door Y, thereby promoting a general circulation of fresh tempered air throughout the full'interior of the car. The action, of this new breathing apparatus-for the ,car', is very much like that of a man; who standing erect, with head up, throws back his shoulders and takes a deepiinhalation of. fresh air from the highest available strata in his I When the win'd is in the same direction, a

moving car, alwayslon bad, single-rail, track,

blower is put in below the fire.

carries along with it, a cloud of dust under the full length of the car; which dust and germs would enter the car to be breathed by passengers, if the air is drawn into the car through holes near the ground or 1n the floor; which is the strangeunwise provision of some of the so called good heating and ventilating systems and it will eventually be prohibited by the boards of health.

To start a fire in a mass of cold fuel is diflicult; and to. maintain a steady heat, afterward needs greater care and watchfulness, for at least an hour or more in cases where only the heat of the fire itself is to be depended on to produce a natural draft. To create the necessary heat requires a strong draft, and the stove wont draw until the requisite heat creates the necessary draft. In consequence of this paradox there is considerable coaxing, vexation, and always delay in the matter of start-ing the fire and heating car stoves with necessarily short smoke pipes; it being understood that tall stacks are otherwise always necessary to make strong natural draft in factory chimneys. All this trouble may be obviated and sufficient fire draft immediately started in the following manner: Close pipe 10 by raising one side of the damper 20 as indicated, by the dotted lines, and open the damper 20 in branch 30 which leaves a clear assa e for air coming into the intake 18 to e de ected by damper 20 into branch 30 and formed through by the motion of the car or by the rotary fan N, so as to go under sutficlent impulsive action into the smoke pipe H, through the air jet nozzles 34, thence out through the top of pipe H. This action creates a partial vacuum above the fire X which is filled by air coming in below the tire, through the inlet Z in the stove; whereby suflicient air is drawn through the fire to stimulate it into great activity in a few minutes. The draft is regulated and controlled by the dampers 20 and 20 as stated. For this reason a fire may remain dormant a part of the day and banked, all night when not in use, to save fuel, yet keep the car comparatively warm. But with the aid of branch 30, it can be again livened up almost instantly as needed; operating by induction to the same good effect, as the direct draft of a blacksmith forge. A thing impossible to do where only the natural draft of a short and cold smoke pipe is to be depended on; and almost as difficult if a \Vhich latter process usually causes smoke and gas to trai through the car, making it necessary to open doors and windows to air; there by losing the benefit of whatlittle heat, thus far has been accumulated in the car.

My device obviatesthe trouble and delay in the matter of prompt and efficient vent-ihiring and heating a car; and besides being:

more efficient, is less expensive to install and operate than any other system in use considering all its advantages. Sutlicient pure warm air under mild pressure may always be forced into the car asneeded, like water is forced against pressure into a steam tight' locomotive boiler. Hence it will not be usib ally necessary to have any windows open; because the car itself is not airtight and will furnish ample exits for the bad air through the cracks and crevices around windows and doors or through small exits T preferably near or under the bottoms of car doors or in the floor where of course no cold air can easily enter against the inside air pressure from pipe 10. Hence there will always be great conservation and control of heatand abundance of fresh warm air for breathing purposes. Even in summer, the windows may all be nailed up, to shut out noise and street dust, and a fine breeze played through the car over the heads of passengers, and out through the back door, left open for the purpose; simply by opening the damper 20 full width (lowered as shown in solid lines) and running the rotary fan which always aids the operation of the acoustic features of this device; as sound travels best with, especially warm, or rarefied, air; and always easier with the wind than against it. The same car will do for winter and summer; so it wontbe necessary to buy additional rolling stock of a different type for the changes in the seasons as is usually done.

In the matter of construction: Pipe 10 and the conjunctive casing or branch pipe Y, and branch pipes 30 (and its sections 31, 32, and 33) and 24 may be of relatively different lengths than is illustrated; and be so adjusted to each other, as all will work together in harmony in cold weather or separately, as needed at other times; each part aiding the other, in the performance of its respective functions; the action of each modifying the action of the other in the manner and for the purposes set. forth.

The outside portions of the combined pipes 10 and warm air. casing pipe Y, exposed to the cold and ice, had preferably be jacketed, not illustrated, between the right hand side K and place of intersection with the transom window J The jacketing however would not be necessary if all pipes were inside the car under the roof F which arrangement is also within the contemplation of this invention. Also the roof may form one side, of the pipe, upper, or, lower as illustrated; or the pipe may have all its sides completed in the ordinary and usual way;

Should the cold air, receiving, branch 10 get clogged, udth snow or ice, it can be readily cleared in a few minutes, by closing the joint outlet 12, with a curtain, not illustrated, or other means; which will force &

back the warm air around the junction G and thaw out everything in its, temporary outward, passage, through intake 18.

WVhat I claim is 1. The combination, with a car, of a substantially horizontal ventilating pipe communicating rcarwai'dly, with the interior of the car and forwardly with a fresh air intake; a smoke pipe leading to the outer air, from the combustion chamber of a stove placed in the car; a branch of the said air pipe, communicating with the same air intake and with the smoke pipe; means in said branch to regulate the supply of air therethrough; power driven means to force the passage of fresh air through the main pipe into the car and also through its branch, when open, into the smoke pipe; means to control the amount of air going into the car, and when needed, to divert the air, so as to enter the branch; whereby, the proper amount of air may be forced, under control, and deflected, at will, from the fresh air pipe into the smoke pipe, so as to gompel an upward draft through the smoke pipe and fire of the stove; while the other discharge end of the pipe may serve to ventilate the car. I p

2. The combination with a car, of aconr bination pipe, having two receiving bfflilgllfis and two discharging branches; one receiving'branch having an air intake and the other receiving branch having a mouthpiece," both communicating with the pipe and car,- inside; one of \the discharging branches opening into the ear; and the. other discharge branclnopening into the smoke pipe, of a stove, placed in the car; means to regulate and control the passage of air through therespective, branches; whereby the pipe and its respective branches 'may serve to transmit sound into the car; and likewise serve to ventilate the'car; and also force a draft into the smoke pipe so as to stimulate the fire in the combustion chamber of the stove.

- 3. The combination with a car, of a combination pipe having three receiving and two discharging branches; one of which receiving branches is in the nature of a pipe and easing around a. stove, and portion of smoke pipe therefrom, placed in the car;

- the second receiving branch communicating with the outer air through an air intake; and the third receiving branch having a mouthpiece; one of the discharging branches opening into the car; and the other dis charge branch, opening into the smoke pipe of the stove; means to regulate and control the passage of air through the pipe and its respective air receiving branches for the purposes for which they are intended; whereby the pipe and its respective branches, may serve to transmit sound into the car and likewise ventilate the car with air of bination pipe discharging into the car; the pipe having three receiving branches comprising respectively a cold air branch hav;

4. The combination with a car of a coming an intake; an acoustic branch having mouthpiece; and a warm air casing b'raneh, having an inlet, enveloping a heat generating device placed in the car; and means to regulate and control the passage of air through the pipe and its branches for the purposes intended; whereby the pipe may serve to transmit signals into, and also serve to ventilate, the car.

5. The combination with a car of a heat: ing "stove therein, having a smoke pipe leading to the outer air; a movable hood capping the smoke pipe, having means to raise it clear out of the way of the upward current of smoke accelerated by the forced driven means to force the air through the ventilating pipe into the car and its branch into the smoke pipe; and means to control the passage of air into the car and to do fleet it into the smoke pipe; whereby the main pipe may serve to ventilate the car and its smoke pipe branch co-acting with the smoke pipe hood working in the way described will stimulate the fire in the stove.

6. The combinationwit-h a car of a combined transmitting pipe, of the character described, having some portion of the car, for example the roof portion, to serve as one of the sides of the pipe; means to regulate and control the passage of air, sound, and heat through the pipe; whereby the pipe may serve to ventilate the car with 'freshened warm air and transmit vocal. sigrials into the car.

7. The combination with a car of a combined cold and warm air pipe discharging into the ear, and into the smokepipezb branch; which pipe is again bifurcat'e ;so as to have one of its receiving branches communicate with the cool fresh outer air; and means to control the passage of air through said branch; the other receiving branch being made iriithe form of a warm air casing pipe enveloping a stove, and portion of its smoke pipe communicating with the combustion chamber thereof; radiator fins placed at intervals on said smoke pipe inside the casing pipe; means to control the passage of air into the casing pipe branch; means of extending thercasing, res

ceiving branch, along the floor to any portion of the car; so that cold air coming into the fresh air intake is mingled with the Warm air coming out of the casing; the air, drawn from near the floor and, going through the casing being sufficiently warmed by the stove, smoke pipe and, the radiator fins acting as bafiles to prevent too rapid passage'of air through the casing.

8. The combination With a car, of a corn bined acoustic, ventilating, and heating pipe having three receiving branches; one branch to convey the outer fresh air into the pipe, the second branch to convey the Warmer inner air into the pipe; and the third branch to coiivey sounds and signals into the same pipe, which branch may have a telescopic extension mouthpiece; which pipe also'has a plurality of discharging branches; one ofwhich conveys cold air from the pipe into the smoke pipe communicating With a stove placed in the car, to produce a forced draft to stimulate the fire in the stove; the remaining branch and branches co-acting, to jointly convey the air, modified by heat, and also the sounds and signals, into the car; means to control the passage of air through the pipe and its air conveying branches for the purposes described.

9. The combination with a car of a combination pipe and its branches; a smoke pipe communicating with the combustion chamber of a stove in a casing pipe, enveloping, the heating apparatus, usually a stove and smoke pipe, and forming a branch of the combination pipe; which latter has 1 another branch to receive fresh air; and agaln another discharglngbranch by which air through the pipe and its air conveying branches; so that the apparatus as a Whole, and its respective parts in conjunction therewith, separately, may be used, as respectively needed, to ventilate the car, force the tire, and act as street annunciator'.

10. The combination with a car of a bifurcated ventilating and heating pipe; its discharge end opening into the car; one of its branches receives fresh cool air from outside the car; the other branch, enveloping a heating apparatus, to receive warmed air taken from any desired part inside the car; both of which branches are joined to the combined pipe opening overhead into the car; the extension of the warm air branch consisting of a longitudinal pipe in the vicinity of the floor and communicating with the interior of the car, and also with the Warm air casing receiving branch, of the bifurcated pipe; its purpose being to draw the colder air from the floor into the Warm air receiving branch of the bifurcated pipe; and means to regulate and control the passage of air through the pipe and any of its air conveying branches.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

LE VERT CLARK.

Witnesses: I

VJ. BUTLER, H. R. MARTIN. 

